A Revisit to the Eos: VW's Hardtop Cabrio Gets a Facelift

Introduced to the US at the end of 2006, Volkswagen’s Eos was marketed as “The only hardtop convertible with a sunroof,” and VW touted its blend of year round usefulness and top down fun. While traditional soft top convertibles allow you the same ability to cruise with the roof down, enjoying the sunshine and warm breezes, that does presuppose that you live somewhere that affords you that kind of weather on a regular basis.The soft top convertible, to someone living in Southern California, is a thing of beauty. To someone living trough the snowy winters of the Northeast, an ice-encrusted soft top can become a source of endless headaches that preferably spends the winters inside a garage. The hardtop convertible, so the logic goes, is the ideal solution to this dilemma - it gives you the fun of a droptop on those nice days, and yet retains the utility of a hardtop when you need it.

Bring us the Golf Cabrio

It's an OK car to drive - especially with the manual transmission - , but I prefer the look of a ragtop, the operating speed of a ragtop, the simplicity of the ragtop, the better gas milage of the Golf Cabrio, the smaller footprint of the Cabrio.

If only the 2012 had a manual transmission in the states, I would be signing and driving it right now. The 2012 Eos look is a great improvement from what I thought was kinda girly, though the front reminds me of a Jetta every now and then.

straight lines do not stir emotion

As with the new Passat and the new Jetta, this new corporate front does not stir any emotion. The rear is fine and nicely done; plain, simple, elegant and functional, although I do miss amber rear indicators.

The front is bland, boring, and void of emotion. I enjoyed the previous front of the EOS with the oblong, circular headlights. The went well with the car and were also similar to those of the CC and helped sort of tie the two cars together.

Why has VWoA chosen to go with this dull, accountant-esqe route with their main cars. The Tiguan and T-reg-II have nicely styled front lights and grill, yet the Jetta/Passat/EOS have a, to me at least, redone Accord front.

Personally, I think VWoA could have done a better job with this new front and given it some more emotion. Hopefully this is just a phase and will pass in a year or two.

I have been enamored with the Eos since its debut as a 2007 model, when, slightly hesitant about it's somewhat bulbous styling, I decided to get a BMW Z4. When that lease was done, I thought about the Eos again in 2009 but the styling still played a role and I decided on the BMW 128i Convertible. Now that lease has ended and VW has decided to address my main issue with the Eos and give it a facelift. I know that the styling changes have stirred a lot of debate among older Eos owners and VW owners, but I love the updates! That, combined with some VW incentives (after rebates and discounts, I was at $31K and 0%) and a slow sales market made buying a 2012 Eos win win in my book. Definitely a very different animal from my 1-series, the Eos is sporty, fun, fuel efficient and a down right bargain. Comparably equipped, it was 10K less than the BMW and offers the hardtop AND sunroof, which was indeed the biggest advantage/selling feature for me. The turbo/DSG has taken some getting used to, but I have so far found the Eos to be a delight.

Having just returned from the Frankfurt Motor show and a trip to VW's Autostadt, I agree with some of the earlier posts here that had the Golf Cabrio been offered in the US market (and with the TDI) it would be sitting in my garage instead! Maybe next time around - are you listening VW?

I have never been able to appreciate the lines of the EOS; it's inescapably unmanly, just like the New Beetle, and every edition of the Mazda Miata. Though the Miata is a formidable driver's car it's styling seems intent on actively sucking testosterone out of the universe. The EOS makes the same impression. It just does. It's a sad day when so much time and effort is spent on a car that ends up looking as exciting to drive as a park bench.

I've been a VW owner since 2001, first with a 2002 Jetta 1.8T GLS and now with a 2003 Passat GLX. I went into the dealer for the first time in years as the recent VW offerings have not interested me much. I went in on a quiet, warm Sunday afternoon in the fall to look at and sit in the new Passat. I could not keep my eyes off of the EOS though. The EOS has not moved me in the past but this new model caught my eye. Hmm. Like my Passat but want to have a "fun" car...thinking GTI...no GTI in the showroom to speak of, that's the car I'd like to get into next. BUT that EOS, wow. I ended going out for a test drive in a silver EOS Komfort with black interior. I really liked it, wow. Top down, no wind in my hair on the highway, how can that be? Now I'm trying to figure out how I can fit this $34,765 EOS Komfort into my budget!!!